Ardeer Thistle have been reunited with one of Junior football’s oldest trophies – thanks to a bizarre set of coincidences.
The Irvine Herald Challenge Trophy, a magnificent piece of silverware which dates back to 1893, went missing more than 40 years ago.
It had been in Ardeer’s care since 1909 when the Stevenston club were granted permission to keep it upon winning it for a third time.
It had been long forgotten until this summer when the arrival of a new signing, forward Matthew Santos, sparked a chain reaction of events that would bring the trophy home.
Ardeer manager Paul Kellington explained: “Matt had only been here a couple of weeks when he heard through a friend that an old trophy had turned up in a loft.
“None of us could believe it when we found out it was something that was connected with Ardeer.
“It’s a fascinating looking trophy and some of the names of winners on there are something else.
“Long gone clubs like Irvine Caledonia and Montgreenan Rangers are listed as winners in the early days. There’s a lot of history there."
According to the Scottish Football Historical Archive, the Irvine Herald Association was set up in 1893 under the auspices of the newspaper of the same name.
Until the outbreak of a dispute in 1927, most clubs involved belonged to the northern half of Ayrshire.
The breakaway clubs in 1927 competed in a “substitute Herald cup” for the intermediate grade.
A trophy was put up by Mr John Stirling of the Red Lion Hotel, Prestwick. This was known as the Stirling Trophy and existed for the four seasons of the dispute.
In the meantime a rump of the Ayrshire clubs, mostly from the southern half of the county played out at least a couple of seasons of the original cup.
When the dispute ended in 1931 a final season of the original cup was contested, involving the reinstated clubs.
In 1932 the tournament was discontinued when the Irvine Herald Association was merged with the Irvine & District Association.
In 1909, Ardeer Thistle were allowed to keep the original trophy on winning it for a third time.
